About Us
LIVING LOOMS OF INDIA
Indian handlooms essay the finest artisanal workmanship, ranging from Ikats to Patolas, Banarasi brocades to the ornate Kanjeevarams, from Kalamkaris to the flowing Kota Dorias, and many more. This timeless craft is an exemplary reminder of our freedom struggle, our insistence on self-sustenance & providing women an additional source of livelihood.
Living looms of India (LLI) is an ACCESS initiative to bring this exquisite craftsmanship to centerstage and ensure weavers get value for their work. LLI is an Artisan led enterprise that will enable customers to buy directly from the weavers thus directly enhancing thousands of livelihoods.
VISION
Living Looms of India is an endeavor to breathe life into the age-old craft of handlooms, across the cultural and traditional borders India. It is with this vision that it seeks to revitalize the Indian handloom industry and provide a competitive edge to the weavers and artisans, through design innovation and marketing interventions.It endeavors to give them a voice, and carve a competitive edge for them on a multitude of niche selling platforms.
The Clusters
Kota
KAITHUN, KOTA (RAJASTHAN)
Kaithun, a small village situated 15 kms off Kota in Rajasthan, is home to the 2500 households associated with the glorious, time honored craft of Kota Doria sarees. It’s the women of these families who are carrying forward this heritage, the men of the households mostly take care of ancillary activities. Kota doria also earned itself a Geographical Indicator (GI) tag in 2005.
Know your Kota Doria:
Kota Doria is a textile craft in which delicate muslin sarees called Kota Doria or Kota Masuria are woven, the latter name coming from its links to Mysore, from where it was brought to Kota by the Mughals. The unique square checkered pattern called ‘khat’ is the hallmark of these sarees. The silk provides the shine while the cotton provides strength to the fabric. Since it’s a very fine weave, it weighs very less. Sarees, Salwar Kameez, Lehengas and Home furnishings are some popular uses of the fabric.
The weavers are mostly from the Muslim Ansari community. With the dominance of power looms there has been a considerable downfall in the number of handlooms with which this fabric is woven. This has become the plight of many of the weavers who are struggling to make ends meet in spite of their mastery over this intricate and dexterous craft. Moreover, there is a lot of replication of the fabric which deludes the buyer into buying fake material. So next time don’t forget to check the GI tag of your Kota Doria to be sure of its authenticity.
Maheshwari
MAHESHWAR, MADHYA PRADESH
Introduced by Rajmata Ahilyabai Holkar in 1767, Maheshwari weaves have traveled a long journey. Craftsmen from across the country were brought in to settle in Maheshwar, resulting in the expansion of the existing textile produce to include sarees and other clothing. This intervention by the royal family led to the flourishing craft of Maheshwari sarees.
Know your Maheshwari :
Maheshwari sarees are known for their vibrant colors, distinctive patterns, including stripes, checks and floral borders. Authentic Maheshwari sarees are usually inspired by the grand temples, palaces and forts of Madhya Pradesh, with influences from the royal family. Some of these popular designs include the Mat pattern, which is also known as ‘chattai’ pattern, along with ‘Chameli ka phool’ which is inspired by the Chameli flower. One can also see the ‘Eent’ pattern which is basically a brick and ‘heera’, which is a diamond.
There are 5 major categories of Maheshwari Sarees namely Chandrakala, Baingani Chandrakala, Chandratara, Beli and Parbi. The Chandrakala and Baingani Chandrakala are the plain kind, whereas the Chandratara, Beli and Parbi fall under the striped or checked technique. Since Maheshwari saree is woven in both Silk and Cotton, it can be adorned for both casual and formal events.
